Obhof: State Lawmakers No Longer Need To Pass "Right To Work" Bills

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling on union laws caused a national stir and sent a shock wave to labor groups in Ohio.

Some Republican state lawmakers have been trying to pass bills around unions and collective bargaining for years. But the top Ohio Senate leader says they now they no longer have to so. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow explains.

Listen

Listening...

/

0:50

Several so-called “Right to Work” bills have been proposed since a collective bargaining reform law was overturned in 2011. These are measures that would make it illegal to require an employee to pay union dues in order to work.

As Republican Senate President Larry Obhof sees it, with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Janus v. AFSCME case, he believes “Right to Work” might be a done issue.

Obhof: “Based on what my understanding of it is, there really isn’t a need for legislation that that’s a constitutional question that’s been decided.”

Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko shot back against the ruling, calling it a threat to the middle class. He said it’s time for lawmakers to act in finding ways to protect unions. That’s an uphill battle with Republicans having a super majority in the General Assembly.

Less than two years after Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected collective bargaining limits for government workers, Republicans in the Ohio House are preparing legislation that would prohibit requiring workers from joining or paying automatic dues to a union.